Stillness School - anyone have any opinions?

[BeadyBoo]

Hi does anyone have any feedback on Stillness School ? Or Honor Oak Park generally ? Thinking of moving there but don't know the area very well.

Thanks in advance for your opinions.

[vez]

we live in HOP near stillness. Hope to send our son there! Families in our street seem really friendly and like the school. Would be interesting to hear from others.

[Browncoffee]

Hi BeadyBoo,

I posted a similar thread recently and have had some great feedback on Stillness: http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,1113522,1116952#msg-1116952

I've also recently visited and had a tour of the school and was very impressed. Please feel free to PM if you would like more details.

[OverTheRainbows]

We've also recently moved into the area and liked the look of Stillness so applied for a nursery place there. We didn't get one, despite it being our closest, and were told that 40 of the 45 nursery places went to siblings. This isn't reception places, but doesn't bode well for getting one next year! Have also heard from various other local mums I've spoken to about people living on Stillness Road itself not getting a place in recent years, and even about a sibling who didn't get a place a year or two ago because there were so many! Looking at the Ofsteds, I'm guessing that because it's been good for so long, a real network of families has built up around it which is difficult to penetrate unless you get lucky / live right on its doorstep.

So BeadyBoo - really directing this at you, I suppose - be careful when choosing where to move to, because the last place offered distances for recent years are deceptive, as a sibling at that distance would get in, but not a new child. Don't assume that because the place you move to falls within a few hundred metres, you're safe. We made that mistake and now, realising all this, I wish we'd considered trying to live near a different school. Worried now that we won't get into Stillness and that we'll be too far from our next nearest schools, and end up getting a place at an undersubscribed school on the other side of the borough...

Having said all that, really liking Honour Oak generally!

[Helen GV]

My son is in reception at stillness and everything seems pretty good so far. The above comments about distances are true unfortunately but there are other very good schools around, Dalmain for example, so I don't think you'll go wrong if you move up here!

[telemum]

Honor Oak Park is lovely (and about to get a Sainsburys, which will be useful). I'd recommend it highly as somewhere to live.

Stillness nursery has fewer nursery places for its size than other local schools, so not getting a place in the nursery isn't necessarily a cause for panic.

What I mean is, that, like the other local schools, it has around 25 in each class in nursery (50 odd in total). However, it takes 90 pupils into Reception compared to 60 at Dalmain (same number of nursery places) and 30 for William of York (ditto) - means that the nursery looks more oversubscribed than the school is.

The published figures for last child to be accepted on distance does not include siblings, (who can be from miles away), and should not be deceptive when you are looking for a school. They are also only the first round of offers, and many people get into preferred schools on waiting lists.

So, yes, it is popular, but it is also a large school. You can ask the council for the distance of the last child admitted - Lewisham are quite good at giving these.

If you are too far away, I have my children at Dalmain, which is also excellent, as another non-faith local primary. St Francesca Cabrini also takes non-Catholics.

[vez]

Thanks telemum for reassurance - above comments about the deceptive catchment area did slightly concern me but at the same time I remembered that Stillness is a large school!

[chantelle]

We moved to HOP two years ago, with our hearts set on Stillness. Turned out we were something like 27m too far away at 503m for 2012 intake. We were eighth on the first round list but never got an offer. But even before that we'd been to Dalmain (which we are closer to, at around 330m) and really liked what we saw. Now we are 100% happy with Dalmain, and it is where most of the kids on our side of HOP seem to go.

HOP in general is fantastic, and the houses are generally bigger and cheaper than SE15/SE22.

[Browncoffee]

The Lewisham Starting School Booklet (which you can find by doing a Google search or looking at the Lewisham Council website) provides 'distance of last child offered'.

It says 476m for Stillness. Obviously that's no indication of what it will be for next year but good to know regardless.

[OverTheRainbows]

Telemum, I was just wondering how you know about 'last distance offered' not including siblings? Thanks!

[hoppermum]

I'd be really keen to know the furthest distance offered for fairlawn and horniman too, anyone know these?

Thanks

[MrsDG]

We recently moved to HOP in part for the school and are very happy with both so far. Good transport, friendly local businesses. It's close enough to ED, Forest Hill etc that you get the benefits of their amenities without the burden of higher house prices. There are several other strong schools in the area but Stillness was my preferred option because the staff and ethos were very impressive although I have heard several people express concerns about the transition to the junior school. I would recommend both after 6 mths!

[telemum]

Hi overtherainbows

If you look at the distances for most schools in Lewisham in the Starting Schools booklet they are a few hundred metres. However, siblings get priority over children who live closer. Using the only example I know for sure, both of my daughters' years at Dalmain include families who have moved home after ther first child. They live way outside the 470m odd area that is mentioned in the booklet. This year, although children in the school nursery who live, say, 500 metres away in Honor Oak, didn't get a place, children who live in Brockley and Catford with a sibling on the roll did.

I'm sorry the booklet doesn't make it clearer - but the schools will be able to explain, they're usually pretty clued up in the school offices.

[born&brED]

Yes, the intake doubles at Stillness from 45 in nursery to 90 in reception. So def more of a chance there!

We've lived in Garthorne Riad, HOP for 6 years now. Our eldest is 3.5 years. We've looked around Dalmson and Stillness and liked both - applied for both at nursery - acceptance from Dalmain, No place from stillness. In the end we decided to keep him at his v small private nursery in Nunhead anyway (as he was so settled there).

For reception tho (for sept 2014) we're in a quandary as to what to do. Both schools say you must put then as first choice if you want to get in. What if I put Stillness first and didn't? I wouldn't get my son into Dalmain either? Where would we go? It's seems that most kids from our block (brockley rise up to Garthorne including Gabriel, bovill, ebsworth etc etc) go to Dalmain. My neighbours kids go to Stillness - did their eldest just strike lucky that year?

Thanks in advance! And yes, I agree - HOP is a FAB place to live - fab community, independent shops (no, I don't support the new sainsburys local - keep giving Honor Oak Supermarket, Hills and Parkes, etc your custom!) great transport links and parks.

[born&brED]

Excuse typos and auto-corrects! :-/

[OverTheRainbows]

Thanks Telemum - that makes sense.

born&brED - it's a nightmare, isn't it! I'm thinking that even with the bigger reception intake it's better to put down somewhere else relatively close, rather than risk ending up somewhere really far away...

[oliveoil]

We are in the same boat as several of you - moved to Gabriel St in Honor Oak five years ago pre-children without really thinking about schools. Then having had our daughter felt quite complacent that we are near-ish Stillness, until we realised having applied for the nursery how many siblings there are likely to be in the 2014 intake. I think we have a better chance there than we do at Dalmain (also really popular now) as someone in our road didn't get in there last year. Anyway, I'm starting to bore myself worrying about this! So hard to know what to do! I'd second what someone else said that if you're moving for schools in HOP you need to be really close...

[Helen GV]

born&brED Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> For reception tho (for sept 2014) we're in a

> quandary as to what to do. Both schools say you

> must put then as first choice if you want to get

> in. What if I put Stillness first and didn't? I

> wouldn't get my son into Dalmain either? Where

> would we go?

This isn't quite right, you put your six schools down and the first school you are in the catchment for will offer you a place. Eg if you put Kilmorie, Dalmain, stillness, beecroft, Fairlawn and Horniman, and are too far from the first three but in catchment for the fourth, you'll get offered beecroft, and they won't continue down the line to consider you for the last two. It makes sense to put them in order of preference but the schools don't know what order you put them in so can't exclude you for putting them further down the list...

[telemum]

Helen is right (thankfully, since it would be terribly stressful any other way!)

Put them in order of preference - so if you want Stillness put it first. If you want Dalmain put it first. If you want Fairlawn or Kilmorie put it first. You'll get your highest preference school that has a place for someone your distance away.

IE, if you put stillness first and are too far away, but have put Dalmain second, you'll get a place at Dalmain if you are close enough, regardless of it not being your top choice. If you're not close enough to Dalmain you'll then get considered for your third choice, but purely on distance, not on preference. If that makes sense.

It's a tough time, but really not a bad system - gives people a pretty equal shot at all community schools.And you can automatically go on waiting lists for your top choice school and any others you want if you're not happy..

Though I'd argue all of the schools around us are pretty good so there shouldn't be too much handwringing (Dalmain, incidentally, was our first choice and we are delighted with it for both our daughters but would have been very happy with Stillness, Kilmorie, Rathfern or other local schools too)

School fairs for most of these schools are this weekend by the way, if you want to go and see them 'in action'.

[born&brED]

Oliveoil - big sympathies! I feel your pain!

Helen GV and telemum - thank you sooo much for clarifying that - that really helps! I didn't really understand how the council distributed places. I think I need to see exactly how many metres we are from Stillness, up on Gatthorne. But to be honest, we really are well-off for good schools aren't we?! I really wouldn't mind my son at either Stillness or Dalmain - can't imagine we're in the catchment for anywhere else. Good idea to visit the fairs - will do! X

[chantelle]

As I said earlier, we put Stillness first, Dalmain second and got the offer from Dalmain. You can email Lewisham admissions with your address and they will tell you exactly how far away you are. The nurseries don't operate on the same basis - so a neighbour of mine has her son at Stillness nursery although I'm not sure she's aware how little chance he has of getting into reception there.

[vez]

We went along to the summer fete and there were a lot of very nice families there. Very promising!

[pilsen]

We were in your situation a couple of years ago. Decided, after much deliberation, to move from East Dulwich to HOP. Mainly due to sizes of affordable properties and the easier commute to work on new overground. But it was an added bonus when I started to look at the schools. Dalmain was our closest so we put as our first choice and got it. The quick walk to the school is fantastic for anyone in the Ebsworth/Bovill etc roads, through the little path off Bovill Road. No traffic and safe for kids on scooters. Being so close to the school also means plenty of playdates and easy involvement in the school, as it is so easy to meet the local mums on the school run and build a good support network. We have been very happy with Dalmain. All the parents and children we have met have been lovely. It is a great school.. I am sure Stillness and Fairlawn are too, however if your child attends the closest school, it really does make life in London very easy.

[Abney]

Stillness is great. I'm 500m from it and didn't get in this year. It's getting harder year on year to get in. Would need to be around 300m I reckon for a safer bet.